Clothes-pin.



J. S. FARLEY.

QLOIHES PIN. APPLICATION F ILED FEB. 26 I915.

176,210. Patented Mar. 21,1916.

Fig: 2. 3.

THE COLUMBIA FLANOORAPH .60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

i being alsorepresented in dotted lines in their which may be merely a plain loop as ,nnrrnn s'ra'rns ra'trnwr enrich.

JOHN S; FARLEY. 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CLOTHES-PIN.

a To alltohom-z't may concern:

Be; it known that I, Jornv S. FARLEY, a

citizen of the United States, and aresident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Pins,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clothes pins and fastening devices of a similar character; the

object being to provide such an article of 'Isimple and sanitary construction and of convenient and effective operation. a

My invention consists in the parts and in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

, In'the drawing: Figurel is a side elevation of a clothes pin embodyingmy invention; Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same; Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations of pins showing modifications of the binding I tions of the lower ends; Fig. 8 is a view showing the pin in side elevation but with itsmembers spread to pass over a clothes line, and illustrating the manner of handling the pin,and the upper parts of the pin positions before or after the pin has passed over the clothes line; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of part ofja line and part of a garment or other article hung on the line with the binding means or washer being shown in full plan view; Fig; 11 is a similar cross section on the'line yyof Fig. 3; and Fig.

12 is a similar cross section on the line z--z of Fig. 4.

My improved clothes pin is constructed of'a single piece ofmetal-wir'e or other suitable ili nt material bent in its middle l to form two symmetrical members 2 and 3. The member 2 crosses under the member 3 at a point an a proper distance from the middle bend 1 to allow a loop to be formed,

shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and Figs 8 and 9, or may comprise a coil 5 as shown in Fig. 4. In either instance, such a loop Constitutes a suitable handle for the clothes pin.

After the member 2 crosses underthe mem- Specification of Letters Patent,

P t n ed Ma 1 6- Applicetion med. February 26, 1915. Serial No. 10,777.

but here the member 2 crosses over the mem- 1 her 3 instead of underas at-the point 4. The members 2 and 3 then again diverge and converge to cross at the point 7, the memher 2 at this point 7 crossing over the member as 1t did at the point 6. From the crossing point 7 the members diverge again to a suitable distance, and then are extended substantially parallel for a sufficient dis tance to form proper guides 8 and 9 on the ends of the members 2 and 3, respectively, for the entrance of the clothes and the line between these members. The ends of the members 2 and 3 are bent laterally outward and upward and then inward, forming eyes 10 and 11, respectively, so that these ends thus formed permit uninterrupted entrance of the clothes. The extreme ends of the wire or other material are preferably brought very close to the straight standing parts 8 and'9, respectively, in forming these eyes, so that these parts cannot catch in the fabric of the clothes.

The ends may have other formations such as in Fig. 5, where the ends are left straight and the guides 8' and 9 are merely slightly diverged downward; or as shown in Fig. 6 where the end parts 10 curved outwardly at their respective sides of the pin, brlnglng the extreme ends of the wlre or other material substantially at right angles to the axis of the pin and to the direction of entrance and recession of the clothes; or as shown in Fig. 7 where the ends are left straight but are provided with balls or heads 10 and 11" to provide the proper smooth entrance to the pin.

While I thus show several modifications of the terminal parts of the pin, the formation of the main piece of each part 2 or 3 is in each instance the same as above described, it being understood, as before alluded to, that any such pin may have the complete coil such as the coil 5" shown in Fig. 4, or merely the plain bend between the two parts 2 and 3 as in the loop 5 shown in the other views. In each case the operation will be substantially the same except that one form of terminal part may be preferred over the other byditlerent makers or users of the pins for reasons of economy or facility of use of the pin, whichever maybe considered the more important. The same considerationswil-l determine whether the coil. or the loop 5 shall be used, or theplain bendof the other examples. 7

In any of these constructlons, the crossing and recrosslng of the members 2 and 3 are seen to form an inclosure 12 adapted to em" brace the line and the clothes when on the lineas illustrated in Fig. 9, this inclosure lying between the crossing pointst and 6. Between the crossing points 6 and 7 are the curves 13 andl on the respective parts 2 and 3, the one curve 13 lying over the other. curve .14 and being adapted to slide 01f of it, and the two curves being adapted to separate completely and allow them to pass down over the clothes 15 and line 16 to admit the line and the adjacent part of the clothes into the "space 12, whereupon the curves 13 and.

14: again come together by virtue of the resiliency of the wire or other material of which the pin is composed, and will grip the clothes 15 below'and adjacent to the line 16, as shown in Fig. 9. 'While the overlap- -ping curves 13 and 14: are thus allowed to separate edgewise to permit the entrance of the clothes and line to the nclosure 12, they are'maintamed in operative. proximity by the contact of the members 2 and 3 at the i crossing point 4. T his contact is thus opposed-to the separation ofthe overlapping. curves 13 and 14, due to the fact that'the' member 2 crosses under the member 3 atthe point 4 and over the member 3 at the points 6 and 7.

When the clothes and line begin to engage with the parts 2'and3 immediately below their curves 13 and 14to force them apart,

there will also be a tendency for the pin to.

twist around with the plane of its broadest dimension nearly parallel with the line 16, thus separating the parts2 and 3 in a direction at right angles to that in which they.

should be separated according to the above described operation. Such twisting of the pin is inconvenient and disagreeable to the user, and because of the spreading ofthe parts of the pin in the wrong direction they are liable to be permanently distorted from avoided.

the crossing point 1 downward even to the extent of belng rendered unsuitable for use. Also, the parts are liable to separate at the points 4: and admit the clothes and line to the interior of the loop 5, where they would J not be properly held.

I have discovered that if a reinforcing member be provided around the parts 2v and 3 in the region ofthe crossing point 1, the above serious defects will be eliminated or Thus as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Figs. 8, 9 and 10. this reinforcing or binding member consists of the-flat ring or washer 17, the aperture 18 of which is of ample diameter to permit entire freedom of movementof the parts 2 and 3 when they.

are spread as shown .in Fig. 3, and yet effectivelygreinforcmg and binding these parts together in direction at right angles tothe directionof proper spreading of the parts, as is best seen 1n the cross section in Fig. 10.

It will be seen that the circular shape-of the aperture 18 is well suited for the purpose,

"since thesides of this aperture engage with the respective outer sides of the parts 2 and 3 but engage with these parts at no other point, leaving the parts free for relative movement in the proper-direction. As the parts spread as shown'in Fig. 8, the loop 5' becomes shortened,the crossing point ofthe parts 2 and 3 rising above the point 4. WVith the binding member or washer lThaving the aperture 18 amply large, and being thus freely'movable with the crossing parts 2 and 3, this washer 17 will slide up on the parts 2 and 3, as plainly shownin Fig. 8, .where the dotted lines indicate the, positions of the parts 2 and 3 and the washer 17; when the pin is closed. It, will be seen that the washer 17 when the pin is spreadopen. as

indicated by the solid linesin this view, has Th s r sing risen a considerable distance. and falling of the binding member or-washer 17 permits the free-relative movement of the parts 2 and 3 in the proper direction and avoids undue springing orjbendingfof the the pin is being applied to and withdrawn 7 from the clothes and line. v

'In' Figs. 3 and 11, the binding member consists of a simple wire ringlT with its.

ends brought very close together. as shown in Fig. 11. Such a bindingmemher will be satisfactory as long as the ends do not separate and allow the member tov become too loose on the pin or to comeo'ff of the pin;

In Figs. 4 and 12, a second modification is shown in which the binding memberconsists of a very short tube 17", which ,of course may be seamless andnot' liahleto come open like'the wire .ring 17,. while be ing more compact and neat than the washer 17 of the first-described example. In some instances. however the. o eration of'such.

a tube will be infer or to that ofthe washer 17 orof the ring 17'.'a-pparentlv due to its" greater extent along the, pin and the wider. separation of llIS'lQflllIlfI surfaces upon the parts 2- and 3, which are thus at. increased distances from the crossing point'of the.

parts 2' and 3. whe eas it appears that the bearmc of the binding memberon .the parts 2 and 3. shou d heas po nt as possible.

close to the crossing.

-. Such pins may belslidalongihia line with lee the clothes if the clothes are to be'moved from one part of the line to the other, or slid off of the clothes, allowing the clothes to be removed from the line, and may be left on the line when the clothes are removed and the line is taken down and rolled up, and thus not so great a proportion of the pins will be lost. This, in addition to their increased .durability as compared with wooden pins affords an economy in their use, while their positive clamping or gripping operation, as insured by the reinforcing or binding member, makes them satisfactory for use in places and under conditions Where the ordinary wooden pin or any other inexpensive pin will be found inadequate. Where the lines are run out from high buildings or on shipboard, the wind in either case is generally so strong that no ordinary pin can be depended upon to hold the clothes upon the line, and garments are frequently blown away and lost where attempt is made to use pins which do not have adequate gripping power. Also, the entirely open construction of my pin makes it easy to keep clean and sanitary.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A clothes pin formed of a single piece of wire bent in its middle to form two members which cross each other to form the upper end of a line and clothes embracing inclosure, said members forming a loop Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the or handle for the pin above said point of crossing, and below said crossing converging and again crossing each other, but in opposite positions relative to each other at their point of crossing and thereby forming the other end of said inclosure, said members beyond their second point of crossing having outward curves to form oppositely disposed overlapping clothes gripping parts, and being further extended to cross each other at a third point and from there diverging and then being continued in the same general direction, to form the entrance guides to the pin, said members being forced apart as the clothes on the line engage through the entrance guide with the gripping parts, whereby the clothes and line enter between the gripping parts into the inclosure, and a reinforcing and binding member embracing said parts at their point of crossing above said inclosure, fitting said parts loosely and adapted to slide up on said parts as their gripping parts are separated and the point of their crossing rises, and to slide down when the parts come together, but engaging said parts to reinforce and bind them against spreading in a direction at ri ht angles to their proper direction of spreading.

JOHN S. FARLEY.

Witnesses V CLARENCE PERDEW, CATHERINE DORAN.

"Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

